Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a mattress adjusting system, and more particularly, to an inflatable mattress adjusting system for raising a mattress to a predetermined degree of inclination.
2. Prior Art
With the escalation of hospital costs, more emphasis is being placed on home health care in order to reduce the overall expense to the patient. In this regard, there are a number of disorders that can be readily treated at home, wherein the patient""s discomfort is relieved or alleviated by having the patient supported in an inclined position, particularly during sleeping hours.
Two of these common disorders are hiatal hernias and acid reflux disease. Under these conditions, gastric juices produced by the stomach move upwardly along the esophagus when the patient is disposed in a reclined position. These gastric juices can cause extreme discomfort as well as ulceration and bleeding of the lower regions of the esophagus, a condition known as esophagitis. One of the methods of alleviating the discomfort caused by these disorders is to have the patient sleep in an inclined position, with the patient""s head about eight inches above his/her feet. The inclination of the patient during sleeping prevents the gastric juices from migrating into the lower regions of the esophagus and is extremely effective in alleviating the discomfort occasioned due to these disorders.
While there are available on the market hospital-type beds for home use, these beds are expensive, somewhat unsightly, and do not fit into the normal bedroom decor or decorating scheme. The normal homeowner does not want his/her bedroom to look like a hospital room. Accordingly, a need remains for a mattress adjusting system that raises and lowers existing bedroom mattresses in order to alleviate the discomfort caused by gastric disorders when sleeping.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system for raising and lowering a mattress. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a system for adjusting the position of a bed mattress including an air mattress having front and rear portions removably positionable between a bed mattress and a box spring or frame. The air mattress includes a cavity adaptable for receiving air therein and for causing a bed mattress to tilt upwardly at the front portion. The system further includes a weight member preferably having a generally rectangular shape, for example, and being securely attached to an inner layer of the air mattress and front portion thereof for assisting to deflate same as needed by a user. Advantageously, a user may more quickly deflate the air mattress than prior art air mattresses. The system further includes a pump mechanism connected to the front end thereof and for selectively inflating and deflating the air mattress.
The pump mechanism preferably includes a control panel with a plurality of control buttons extending upwardly therefrom and an air pump connected to the control panel and the air mattress for causing air to selectively enter or exit same. The air pump includes a power cord for connecting to a power outlet and is selectively operable by the plurality of control buttons. The control panel may further include a release valve for allowing an operator to manually deflate the air mattress in the event of a power outage.